Prussian Lieutenant, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Curator: Isn’t he a character? Look at that formidable moustache. He exudes such… confidence? Or maybe it's just smoke. Editor: Indeed! We’re looking at "Prussian Lieutenant, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes,” a chromolithograph dating to 1888, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was part of a series included in cigarette packs. Imagine finding art with your tobacco! Curator: So, it’s pure marketing, right? Glamorizing smoking via this uber-masculine military figure? But there's a charm to it as well. A bit of theatricality. Editor: Absolutely, the image presents smoking as sophisticated and worldly, capitalizing on the popularity of collecting such cards at the time. It links military prestige with a leisurely lifestyle, influencing public perceptions. He embodies imperial power through consumption. Curator: Yet, there's this almost cartoonish quality to it. That handlebar mustache seems… detachable, almost. And something about the stark profile flattens him, removes the sense of interiority you find in painted portraits. It highlights, dare I say, the artificiality of constructed identity. Editor: That reading aligns perfectly with our understanding of visual culture's role in propagating idealized societal types. This was during the era of intense German nationalism. The artist is carefully playing into—and shaping—ideas about martial pride and what a distinguished man looked like. It's worth noting these cards circulated widely, building these associations in people's minds. Curator: And beyond the social and cultural machinations at play, there’s an aesthetic curiosity too, the vivid colors offset against the muted background. What seems superficial speaks to profound ideological structures of its time, and still impacts today. Editor: Yes, in summary, it reminds us how images, even those seemingly insignificant, can perform serious ideological work by connecting pleasures like smoking to power and privilege. And to see this captured on a card that was inserted in cigarette packs... remarkable!